Olympic Palace of Sports

Inside is ice. The venue opened in November 2005, built from scratch rather than adapted from an older structure, and it has kept its name ever since.

It is the home of Ryazan-VDV, a side in the Supreme Hockey League (VHL) that has played there since the club began in 1999. The arena holds 2,825 spectators, a figure that does not shift. The surface underfoot is artificial ice, maintained through Russian winters when the river itself freezes over.

Outside hockey the doors open for other events. Figure skating championships, kickboxing titles, and sports dance competitions all arrive in turn. The address is 12 Building 2 Zubkovoy Street, a quiet corner of Ryazan where the stadium falls silent between gatherings.

It is a modest arena, not a monument, but one that belongs to the city.